beardslee



(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 1.

W. F. BEARDSLE E. SEWING MACHINE.

No. 556,710. PatentedMar. 17,1896.

i \p 5* a W 5.51 mmw @A hNBRlVI I.CIA MH.PHOTOUTKQWASMINGYOLDL {No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.v

W. P. BEARDSLEE. SEWING MACHINE.

Patented Mar..l7 1896.

iii j I E- mvemtoz,

(No Model.) 7 3 SheetsSheet s.

W. P. BBARDSLEE. SEWING MACHINE.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rricn.

TVILLIAM FURMAN BEARDSLEE OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,710, dated March 1'7, 1896.

Application filed January 25, 1894. Serial No. 497,986. (No model.)

toward and from the needle both in front and rear thereof.

Myimprovements relate particularly to the mechanism which operates the thread-carrying looper; and the objects of the invention are to render this mechanism positive and accurate in action, simple and durable in construction, and capable of application to existing sewing-machines at a minimum cost.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the device as applied to an ordinary sewing-machine whose other parts are of the lVillcox & Gibbs type; but it will of course be understood that my invention is adapted for use in connection with other forms of sewing-machines.

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a sewing machine embodying my improve ments, certain of the supporting parts below the cloth-plate being shown in vertical section in order to more clearly exhibit the op erative portions, and the cloth-plate itself being indicated in vertical section in another plane. Fig. 2 is a partial top or plan view of the machine, the cloth-plate being broken away to show the subjacent mechanism and the loopcrbeing shown as just having entered the loop of the needle-thread in rear of the needle. Fig. is a partial end view of the machine. Fig. i is a partial top or plan view, in other respects similar to Fig. 2, but showing the looper in front of the needle as the latter is about to enter the bight formed by the looper-thread. Fig. 5 is a partial top or plan view of the loopenactuating mechanism, showing the looper at the outermost extremity of its stroke and about to com mcnce the inward movement. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the looper at the innermost extremity of its stroke and about to commence the outwardmovement. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the actuating-eccentrics for the looper in the position which corresponds with that of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a similar view of said eccentrics in the position corresponding to that of Fig. Fig. 9 is a similar view of said eccentrics in the position corresponding to that of Fig. (i.

To briefly advert to the general construc tion of the machine, the base is indicated at O, the projecting frame thereof which carries the cloth-plate and adjacent parts at O, the needle-arm at 0 the needle-bar at b, the needle at a, the main driving-shaft at S, the driving-pulley for said shaft at O and the pit-man for oscillating the needle-arm at 0 The cloth-plate is indicated at Z, the feed-bar at V, and the actuating device for the feed at U.

The feed movements are preferably obtained in the manner set forth in Letters Patent No. 355,053, dated December 28, 1886.

The particular mechanism to which my invention relates will now be described.

To conveniently support the same, I attach to the outer face of the projecting frame 0 a support or bracket N, preferably by means of screws c c, said bracket having a vertical slot n- (see Fig. 3) to admit certain of the moving parts and being provided with project ing bearings L L arranged near the upper and lower ends of the slot. Said bearings are adapted to receive a vertical shaft R and are coned or flared upon the remote faces to receive the correspondingly -con ed bearingpieees P P" adjust-ably secured to the shaft R in the usual manner. The face of the frame 0 is recessed along the portions adjacent to said bearings an d to the slot u, so as to receive the bearings L L and the working parts immediately carried thereby.

Near the lower portion of the shaft R and just above the lower bearing, L, a lever A is rigidly attached to said shaft by means of a screw f. Said lever (which I term the carryin g-lever, because it bodily carries the looper mechanism) is connected at E with the short pitman of an eccentricstrap E, which engages with an eccentric F. mounted upon the main driving-shaft S. At the other end of said lever is a boss A, which supports freely a ver tical pin 7.; threaded and provided with a nut at its lower end.

The looper-lever C isformed with an elongated sleeve-bearing, which fits loosely upon said pin 71;, and which is inwardly coned at its upper and lower ends, so as to permit the taking up of wear by means of the correspondingly-tapered head h of the pin 7s and the coned projection 2' upon the top of the boss A, the necessary adjustment being afforded by the nut 7c.

The looper-lever C carries on its longer arm the curved looper X, which may be partially hollow with an eye 11- at its front end, as indicated, or of any ordinary construction proper for carrying the looper-thread. Said looper is situated in a tubular bearing at the outer end of the lever-arm and adj ustably secured 1 by means of a screw 9''. The other arm of the looper-lever C terminates in a ball-bearing g, to which is attached the link D connected with a similar ball-bearing g upon the outer end of the lever B, which I term the secondary looper-lever. This lever B is provided with an elongated sleeve-bearin g which works loosely upon the shaft B, being mounted upon said shaft above the carryingdever A. The inner end of the lever B is connected at G with the pitman of the eccentric-strap G engaging with the eccentric G mounted upon the main driving-shaft S. It will thus be seen that the looper-lever 0 moves bodily backward and forward in conformity with the motion of its carrying-lever A, and it will also be seen that by means of the secondary looper-lever B the looper-lever is oscillated on its own fulcrum during said movement and independcntly thereof. By the proper timing of the eccentrics G and E as illustrated in the figures, the carrying-lever A and secondary looper-lever B are actuated in such relation to one anothers movements (as well as to the movements of the needle-arm) that the looper will in one forward stroke pass in rear of the needle a and take the loop of the needle-thread as the needle rises, and that on the next forward stroke the looper will pass to the front of the needles path, so that the latter in descending will enter the bight of the looperthread and hold it until the looper again moves forward and secures the last needle -loop, thereby enchaining the looper-thread as the needle rises with the needle-thread, and so on.

As the looper X passes from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 6 an excess of thread will be drawn from the threadsupply, which should. be taken up. I of course contemplate the use of proper takeup mechanism for this purpose, and may employ as a convenient adjunct the hooked pin 7, which is secured to the under side of an arm T, pivotally mounted at 77. upon the clothplate Z. These devices, however, form no part of my invention.

It will be noted that in the operation of my improved looper-actuating mechanism the direct thrust of the driving-eccentric G upon the second looper-lever B is supported by a bearing which is mounted upon a rigid and stationary portion of the frame, and that substantially the only strains exerted by said lever upon the carrying-lever are in a plane parallel to that in which the latter moves. This constitutes an important feature of my invention, both in respect to the permanency of the device and the true or accurate working thereof at high speeds.

In mechanism heretofore suggested for a similar general purpose, such as the devices L shown in Letters Patent N 0. 39,207, dated July 14, 1863, the driving-eccentric for the looper-lever proper was directly connected therewith. The part corresponding with the carrying-lever therefore had not only to bear the direct thrust and accompanying strains of its own eccentric, but also the total strains of the secondary driving movement without modification. Such an arrangement is open to obvious mechanical disadvantages by reason of the twisting and distorting ef fect of the strains which are thus required to be borne by a moving member, and, so far as I know, the same has not been found practical.

For the purpose of convenience and compaetness of arrangement, I have illustrated the main carrying-lever A and the secondary looper-lever B as oscillating upon a common axis, this arrangement not only being well adapted to the type of machine shown, but being desirable in that it affords an elongated bearing of great strength and permanency for both the levers; but it must be understood that although this form is preferable it is not essential for the objects desired that the two levers should be thus mounted, the essence of the improvement in the particular referred to residing in the fact that the secondary looper -lever B is provided with bearings mounted upon a rigid portion of the machine, and that the strains upon the carrying-lever are thereby reduced to the minimum extent and applied in the least harmful direction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a carrying-lever, of a looper-lever supported thereby and provided with a threadcarrying looper, a secondary looper-lever lyin g in a plane parallel with the carrying-lever and operatively connected to the looper-lever, means for positively operating the carrying and secondary levers, and complemental stitch-forming mechanism.

2. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a carrying-lever operating in a definite plane, of a looper-lever carried thereby, a secondary looper-lever operatively connected to the looper-lever and operating in a plane parallel with the plane of operation of the carrying-lever, means for positively operating the carrying and secondary levers, and comple mental stitch-forming mechanism.

IIO

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a carrying-lever, of a looper-lever carried thereby and provided with a thread-carrying loopeig a secondary looper-lever lying in a plane parallel with the carrying-lever, operatively connected to said looper-lever and having a fixed fulcrum independent of the fulcrum of the carrying lever, means for positively operating the carrying and secondary levers, and complemental stitch-forming mechanism.

at. In a sewing-machine, the combination with a carrying-lever, of a looper-lever carried thereby, a secondary looper-lever operatively connected to the looper-lever the i'ulcrums of the carrying and secondary levers being independentand concentric, means for operating the two latter levers, and complemental stitch-forming mechanism.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination of a carrying-lever, a looper-lever having a thread carrying looper, and a secondary looper-lever, the looper-lever being pivoted to the carrying-lever and operatively connected to the secondary looper-lever, and means for positively actuating the carrying and secondary levers simultaneously in opposite directions, whereby the looper-lever is given a bodily vibration and an independent axial vibration.

6. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a carrying-lever, a looper-lever and a secondary loopcr-lever, the looper-lever being pivoted to the carryingdever and operatively connccted to the secondary lever, and said levers being located in parallel planes, and means for positively actuating the carrying and secondary levers simultaneously in opposite directions.

7. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a carrying-lever, a looper-lever and a second ary looper-lever, the looper-lever being pivoted to the carrying-lever and operatively connected to the secondary lever, the fulcrums of the carrying and secondary levers being independent and concentric, and means for actuating the two latter levers simultaneously in opposite directions.

8. In a sewing-machine Whose stitch-forming mechanism includes an eye-pointed needle and a looper co-operating therewith in substantially the manner set forth, the combination of a carrying-lever; an elongated shaft rigidly secured thereto; Widely-separated and rigidly-supported bearings for said shaft; a looper-lever pivotally mounted upon said can rying-lever; a secondary looper-lever freely mounted independently of the carrier-lever upon said shaft and operatively connected With the looper-lever; a main driving-shaft and individual actuating mechanisms, such as a pair of eccentrics, their straps and pitmen, whereby said carrying-lever and said secondary looper-lever are independently driven from said shaft substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM FURMAN BEARDSLEE.

W'itnesses JOSEPH CHAUVET, J OHN W. OOULTER. 

